The Ultimate Review of Arm Exercises for Women, Part 9

If you’ve been reading my reviews of arm exercises for women, you know more than the majority of women when it comes to arm-toning. Seriously.

With all the misinformation out there, it can be virtually impossible to find the truth.

So I am going to shed light on the truth as best I can with my ultimate review.

Here’s today’s list of exercises for upper arms:

Single-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

Credit: munfitness

This is yet another favorite among gym rats. And it’s an excellent exercise for the triceps except for one thing: exercising one arm at a time is extremely inefficient. Because of the vertical position, however, this movement really allows you to stretch the long head of the triceps.

Technique

Stand erect and grab a dumbbell with one hand, keep your arm vertical.

Maintain a forceful contraction in your abs, keep your back straight and dig into the ground with your heels.

Inhale, and lower the dumbbell to the base of your neck.

Exhale, and return the dumbbell to the overhead, vertical position.

Most common mistakes

Not keeping the elbows frozen in place which takes stress off of the triceps.

Letting the back arch which places unnecessary strain on the spine. Be really careful here.

Not going all the way down and all the way up. This reduced range of motion decreases the effectiveness of the exercise.

Thrusting to get the weight up. This uses momentum instead of muscle to perform the movement.

Sleeveless in 7 rating: 4/10

Using one arm at a time is a poor approach when doing exercises for your upper arms. It’s a very inefficient use of time. I do not recommend doing this exercise unless you are using both hands at the same time.

Seated Ez-Bar Triceps Extensions

Credit: bodybuilding.com

This is another exercise for the triceps with a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it has two major drawbacks. First, it can place excessive stress on the elbow joint. Second, it’s extremely difficult to get a heavy ez-bar over your head. And if you can’t use challenging weights, you can’t get toned arms quickly.

Technique

Sit on a bench with lower back support and grab an ez-bar with an overhand grip, keep your arms vertical.

Maintain a forceful contraction in your abs, keep your back straight, dig into the ground with your heels and push with your legs so that your back is always flat against the support.

Inhale, and lower the ez-bar to the base of your neck.

Exhale, and return the ez-bar to the overhead, vertical position.

Most common mistakes

Not keeping the elbows frozen in place which takes stress off of the triceps.

Letting the back arch which places unnecessary strain on the spine. Be really careful here.

Not going all the way down and all the way up. This reduced range of motion decreases the effectiveness of the exercise.

Not experimenting with different hand placements to reduce stress on the elbows.

Not pushing hard enough with the legs to keep the back flat against the support.

Sleeveless in 7 rating: 6/10

If it weren’t for the difficulty of getting a heavy ez-bar overhead, this exercise would get a much higher rating. You also have to consider the stress it places on the elbows. Although you can minimize this by experimenting with hand placements.

That’s it for today’s review of exercises for upper arms. Until next time!